Jimenez hit on ankle, but stays in game (Jimenez goes four innings)

SARASOTA, Fla. - With the injuries piling up late in camp, the Orioles almost lost starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez tonight.

Jimenez was hit on a right ankle by a sharp bouncer from Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt leading off the top of the second inning. Manager Buck Showalter and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells raced out of the dugout as Jimenez limped around the mound.

Jimenez threw a few warmup tosses, Showalter patted him on the back and play resumed without a pitching change.

No one is warming in the Orioles bullpen, so Jimenez will come back out for the third inning with his pitch count at 38, including 26 for strikes.

Jimenez threw 26 pitches in the first inning and allowed a run after only two batters. Eric Young Jr. singled and scored on Jace Peterson's double. Jimenez also walked a batter and struck out two.

Jimenez threw 11 of 12 pitches in the second inning, allowing a single and throwing a wild pitch before retiring the next two batters. He struck out Young to end the inning.

The Orioles tied the game in the second on consecutive singles by Travis Snider, Manny Machado and Everth Cabrera. Machado laid down a bunt.

Machado scored on Caleb Joseph's fly ball to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead.

Cabrera also made a nice play at shortstop, ranging up the middle to field Todd Cunningham's bouncer. He looks a lot better now that he did after arriving in camp and appears to have a strong hold on the starting shortstop job in J.J. Hardy's absence.

Update: Jimenez allowed one run and three hits in four innings with one walk and five strikeouts. He threw 61 pitches, 43 for strikes.

Jimenez retired the last eight batters he faced and 11 of 12.

Remove his first start against the Tigers in Lakeland, and Jimenez posted a 2.88 ERA in his last six outings. He walked three and struck out 16 in his last 23 innings.

Brad Brach retired the Braves in order in the fifth, striking out Eric Young Jr. Alejandro De Aza led off the bottom of the fifth with his third home of the spring to increase the Orioles' lead to 3-1.